Russell Investments gets new owners as growth accelerates
Zach Buchwald, the firm’s chairman and chief executive, will continue leading Russell Investments alongside president and chief investment officer Kate El-Hillow once the transaction closes, with the firm’s mission, investment teams, and client-facing staff unchanged. Buchwald framed the sale as a vote of confidence in the company’s approach to long-term investing.
“Helping people build long-term financial security is one of the defining challenges of our time,” Buchwald said. “We’re excited to partner with these world-class investors because we share a long-term view of investing and the belief that it can meaningfully improve people’s lives. Together, alongside our clients, we’ll build a future where more people have access to the expertise and investment solutions they need to achieve their goals.”
New tools
Backed by the new consortium, Russell Investments intends to broaden its open-architecture model through additional technology, customization, and analytics, and says it sees room for further expansion across institutional outsourcing, portfolio implementation, personalized and model portfolio solutions, tax-managed investing, and self-directed multi-manager accounts.
Eduardo Saverin and Raj Ganguly, who serve as co-founders and co-chief executives of B Capital, pointed to Russell Investments’ track record across pension consulting and indexing as a foundation for the next phase of ownership.
“As global investors in transformative technologies, we firmly believe the future of asset management lies at the intersection of investment expertise, personalized client service, and innovation,” Saverin and Ganguly said. “From OCIO and pension consulting to innovative indexes and smart beta, Russell Investments has always been a trailblazing firm built on client trust. We look forward to partnering with Zach and the entire team to bring even more advanced technology and relationship-focused investing to people around the world.”
